Florida Governor, VA Director Attend White House Bill Signing

President Trump passes out pens after signing the Veterans Choice Program Extension and Improvement Act. From right to left: Florida VA Ex. Dir. Glenn Sutphin, Florida Gov. Rick Scott, Chairman U.S. House VA Committee Phil Roe, VA Secretary David Shulkin.

U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affairs

Originally published on April 19, 2017 2:35 pm

The sunshine state was well represented at the White House Wednesday as President Trump signed a bill extending and improving the Veterans Choice Act which allows veterans to seek medical care outside the VA system under certain conditions.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Glenn Sutphin, executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, stood just to the left of the president at the ceremony. The bill, which passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate, eliminates a sunset provision in the VA Choice Program and allows continued care until funds for the program are used.

Scott and Sutphin then met privately with VA Secretary David Shulkin after the ceremony. The Trump administration has promised to work on “full-scale reform” of the Department of Veterans Affairs.